Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, expressed confidence on Monday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would emerge victorious in all Lok Sabha constituencies in Vidarbha during the initial phase of polls.
Fadnavis highlighted the positive atmosphere generated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives, alongside the notable presence of veteran leader Nitin Gadkari contesting from Nagpur. He attributed the BJP’s optimism to the groundwork laid over the past four years, emphasizing grassroots efforts to connect with every segment of society. Building upon this foundation, Fadnavis anticipated a clean sweep, securing victory in all Vidarbha Lok Sabha seats during the first phase of elections.
Maharashtra boasts a total of 48 Lok Sabha constituencies, with elections scheduled across five phases. The first phase, slated for April 19, will cover five seats, followed by eight seats in the second phase on April 26. Phase 3 (May 7) and Phase 4 (May 13) will each witness contests for 11 seats, while the remaining 13 constituencies will go to the polls in the fifth phase on May 20.
In a noteworthy development, senior Congress leader Raju Parwe, an MLA representing Umred, switched allegiance to the Shiv Sena in the presence of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. Parwe’s defection came after tendering his resignation from the Congress earlier in the day, with his formal induction into the Shiv Sena taking place at ‘Varsha,’ the official residence of Chief Minister Shinde.
Parwe’s victory in the Umred assembly seat under the Congress banner during the 2019 elections underscored his political significance. Against the backdrop of ongoing political realignments, Bajrang Sonawane, formerly aligned with Ajit Pawar’s faction within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), made a pivotal move by joining Sharad Pawar’s NCP. Sonawane, known for his loyalty to Ajit Pawar and Dhananjay Munde following the NCP’s split last year, contested against Pritam Munde in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections for the Beed seat, presenting a formidable challenge.
In light of recent developments, the BJP announced Pankaja Munde as its candidate for the Beed Lok Sabha seat, replacing her sister, MP Pritam Munde. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP clinched victory in 23 out of 25 contested seats, while the erstwhile Shiv Sena secured 18 out of 23 seats. The undivided NCP, aligned with the opposition alliance, contested 19 seats and emerged victorious in four. Following the split in 2022, Shiv Sena’s alliance dynamics shifted, with Eknath Shinde aligning with the BJP, altering the state’s political landscape.
